Compassion
by ConfusedColumbia26220
Summary: What happens when Magenta seizes control of the pure anti-matter lazer from Riff Raff? Why did she?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: It's been a while since I've written a fanfiction, but after a fanfiction reading marathon, a plot bunny has entered my head and is dying to be written. Being part of a Rocky shadowcast means I'll likely get more plot bunnies that lead to more fanfics, if I have the time to write them. Who knows. This will likely be a oneshot. Rambling done.**

"I can explain." Frank had said, and had proceeded to in song. He was ready to redeem himself, to return to Transylvania, to stop being such an asshole. Magenta saw that. She also saw that Riff Raff wasn't going to change his plan. She was okay with that.

That is, until Columbia's high-pitched scream sounded from behind them. Magenta had scarcely had the time to turn before Riff Raff fired the anti-matter lazer at the sorrowed groupie. Time seemed to slow down as Magenta watched her lifeless body crumple to the floor. A single tear rolled down her cheek as realization of her friend and sometimes lover's fate came to her. Columbia was not supposed to die. That was not a part of the plan.

Before Magenta knew what she was doing, she had snatched the lazer out of Riff Raff's hands. "Son of a bitch!" she sobbed. Columbia had been Magenta's only friend. While there was a lot of things they didn't understand about each other, there were the same number of things that they understood about each other perfectly, sometimes without communication. Magenta's whole body was trembling, she could barely stand anymore. The lazer was pointing at Riff Raff, though, not Frank, when it went off. It was an accident. Her trembling fingers had squeezed the trigger. She knew, though, she would have done it anyway. She hated him so much in that moment for killing Columbia, for changing their plan, that she didn't want to go home with him. She didn't want Frank to die. She never had.

She watched as Riff Raff fell flat on the floor, dead as well. She was shaking with sobs that were tearing at her, wanting to escape. The tears in her eyes blinded her. She screamed at the Earthlings to get out. She waved the lazer around dangerously as emphasis. She could very well shoot one of them accidentally, too. They didn't have to be told twice. They scurried out of the castle donned in the corsets, fishnets, and makeup Frank had decorated them with.

Once they were gone, Magenta let the lazer fall to the floor. She moved to where Columbia's body laid peacefully, as if she were sleeping. As Magenta knelt next to her, she could see the tear tracks that cut through the makeup that had been caked onto her face. Poor girl had been scared for Frank. As more tears streaked down Magenta's cheeks, she bent to kiss her forehead tenderly. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. She took her still warm hand in her own, kissing the knuckles and resting her cheek against it. "You weren't supposed to die, baby..."

She didn't notice when a cautious yet relieved yet saddened Frank had come up beside her. She jumped when he spoke her name,

"Magenta. I don't know why you let me live when Riff clearly wasn't going to, but thank you."

"I never wanted you to die," her voice cracked. She looked up at him. "You don't deserve to die. You aren't as innocent as poor Columbia, but I understand why you killed Eddie. I will never, ever understand why Riff killed Columbia." More tears streamed down her cheeks. She pressed a soft, final goodbye kiss to Columbia's unresponsive painted lips. "Sweet dreams, my darling." She let go of her hand and shakily got to her feet.

Frank automatically set his hands on Magenta's shoulders to steady her. After what she had done for him, he wished he could do something to comfort her. He wished he could tell her that he could bring Columbia back to life for her, but it wouldn't be true. He wished he could even bring Riff Raff back for her, if she ever decided she'd made a mistake. He couldn't do that either. After he spent a good while picking his brain, he found something that he could do. "Do you want a hug?" he asked her softly.

Frank wasn't one to give hugs. Magenta wasn't one to receive hugs. But this was no ordinary situation. "Yes, actually," Magenta answered. Frank wrapped his arms around her and it wasn't as awkward as either of them thought it would be. Magenta even let her head rest on his chest.

Frank took notice that his creation had run off with the Earthlings. Despite the low mood of the atmosphere, he chuckled. "Oh, Rocky...I didn't make you very bright, did I?"

"I scared him away..."

Frank looked down at her. "No, you didn't, Magenta. You scared the Earthlings away. He simply followed like a lost puppy. All he really was, really..."

"He was a decent enough creation, Frank." There was no need to call him 'Master' anymore. She looked up at him. "He was attractive, strong, and could move properly. Just wasn't much of a talker, but he was like a baby in an adult's body. It was amazing that he could do what he could."

That made him smile. "Thank you," it was genuine. "That means a lot. It really does." He reached out to her carefully, and when he deemed it safe, he let his hand come to rest on Magenta's cheek, gently wiping her leftover tears away. "I did care for Columbia, too," he murmured. "I wish there was something I could do to bring her back. But I can't."

"She loved you. As much as I thought I loved Riff, she loved you. Eddie was nothing to her in comparison. I was her security blanket. I can see why. Even when you were an abusive, jealous, selfish, god complexed bastard I could see why. You can be good. Right now, you're being really good, even sweet." She closed her eyes, leaning her cheek into his hand. "And I'm liking it - I'm liking you - a lot right now."

Frank truly was a romantic at heart, he just never opened up first, even if he was usually the first to lay out the charm. He was insecure with his heart, and usually pushed people away that managed to get close to it out of fear. Unless someone opened themselves to him, first, and melted away his defenses. In that moment, he felt closer to Magenta than he ever had. He brought his lips to hers in a soft, chaste kiss.

Magenta was surprised, but not shocked. She knew her words had been inviting. She allowed her lips to part, giving him permission to deepen the kiss if he wanted. She would let whatever that was going to happen happen. Columbia was dead, Riff Raff was dead, Rocky was gone, and the castle was empty. They were all they had, now.

Even though Magenta had spoken warm words, Frank was genuinely shocked that she was returning the kiss. He didn't want to break it, but he didn't want to push her too far, either. He was done playing with people. He didn't want her hurting anymore than she already had that night. He gently drew her closer. It wasn't lust he was feeling, it was compassion.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: SURPRISE!**

"We have to do something with the bodies," Magenta stated. "It's been three days, now."

"I know," Frank replied. "We've both been avoiding it, and have good reasons for doing so."

Three days had passed since the night of the tragic events at the castle. Contrary to Magenta's prior yearnings, the castle remained Earthbound. In fact, she didn't want to return to Transsexual for a long time. Frank was perfectly okay with that. He knew that the minute he stepped outside, onto the shores of Transsexual, there would be cameras and microphones thrusted into his face. Once, he might have welcomed that, but now the fame and glory that came with being the Prince of Transsexual didn't appeal to him.

He and Magenta had grown closer in the past three days. The kiss they had shared hadn't been tossed into the land of forbidden and unspeakable topics. Both of them had enjoyed it, and freely admitted it. That night they had slept together - just that, two bodies side by side in one bed. Neither of them had wanted to be alone.

The first day after the deaths of Columbia and Riff Raff, Magenta tried to keep herself busy with her normal routine. She cleaned most of the castle. She was doing fine until breakfast, when she made two unneccessary plates, not realizing it until she had set them at the table in front of empty chairs. Frank had come in with no Columbia attached to his arm, and there had been no Riff Raff standing behind her, gently stroking her arm. She'd lost it when her auto-pilot faded, allowing her to remember. She'd picked up the two extra plates and chucked them at a wall, food and all. She threw glasses, tried to beat up the wall, and eventually sank to the floor, in the middle of the debris she had created, sobbing, hands bunched up in her hair, tearing.

It absolutely broke Frank's heart to see her so distraught. "Magenta..." he'd spoken her name sympathetically. Carefully, he had made a path through the various remains, and sat by her when he reached her. That close, he saw three red lines streaming down one of Magenta's arms, and two red lines streaming down the other. "Magenta. Please, Magenta, calm down... You've hurt yourself." Gently, he'd pried one of her hands out of her hair, stretching her arm out so he could better see. "You're bleeding."

Magenta had been screaming through her tears so loudly, she couldn't hear herself think, let alone what Frank was saying. She couldn't feel her arms stinging, or the blood that was rolling down them, becoming sticky. She hadn't felt when Frank had pried one hand away, and she hadn't felt when her other hand tore a chunk of her hair right from her scalp.

"Magenta, we need to get you cleaned up," Frank was still trying to get through to her. "Please, stand up. You're losing far too much blood, you're going to pass out soon if you don't let me help you." It had been no use. There was no getting through to Magenta in the state she was in. "Okay...you leave me no choice." Frank slid an arm under her legs and wrapped the other arm around her back, lifting her bridal style. He'd carried the still screaming Magenta to the nearest bathroom, and sat her down on the toilet.

Magenta had felt as if her heart were literally breaking inside her chest. The pain was so raw, so strong. Soon she would start to hyperventilate, give herself ulcers, or have a heart attack - possibly all at once. The best memories she'd shared with Columbia and Riff Raff were whirling through her mind, with the memory of what had happened the prior night, each repeating over and over, never giving her rest.

Frank wet a washcloth with cool water and held it to Magenta's face. Magenta accidentally inhaled part of it and coughed violently. Frank moved the washcloth to her neck, and it had eventually soothed her.

"Wha-What -?" Magenta had attempted to speak, but Frank silenced her.

"Ssh, Magenta. Don't say anything. Just sit there, quietly. Can you do that?"

Magenta nodded silently.

Frank wet the washcloth again, this time with warmer water, and began to clean the blood from her arms.

Magenta had looked down with curiosity and her eyes widened in shock when she saw the blood. "Wha-?"

"Magenta, please. I'll answer your questions later." Frank's eyes burned into her's with such an intensity that she'd immediately quelled her curiosity.

He'd gotten the sticky, more dry blood off of her arms, but fresh blood kept coming. He kept wiping it away until he found the sources of the wounds. He grimaced and pulled a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from one of the cabinets, as well as a fresh washcloth. He poured the hydrogen peroxide onto the washcloth, and dabbed it over one of Magenta's cuts. She howled in agony. "I know, I know. It hurts like a bitch, I'm sorry, but it has to be done." Shortly after, no more blood came from that wound. However, the process had to be repeated about six times before Magenta stopped bleeding entirely. At least she wouldn't have any scars.

After the excruciating process was over, Frank filled a glass with cold tap water from the sink and handed it to Magenta. "Here. You need it."

Magenta had gulped it down thirstily. She gasped for air when she'd finished, as she had swallowed all of it at once.

"Breathe." Frank held her hands. "Just breathe."

Magenta listened, and her breathing returned to its normal rhythm. "Frank, what happened?" she asked, after a minute or two of silence and breathing.

"You were making us breakfast, and you made two extra plates out of habit, and you freaked out when you remembered last night. You started throwing things and crying in hysteria. It was scary, Magenta. Scary and heartbreaking."

Magenta's eyes went as wide as saucers. "I don't remember doing that, aside from making breakfast."

"That's scarier. I'm not leaving you alone again. You're probably suffering post traumatic stress disorder right now, and I don't want you hurting yourself anymore." He'd finally allowed all of the strength he'd needed to get through patching her up go, dissolving into tears.

Magenta blinked a few times. That was not a sight one saw every day, and it was one she had never personally witnessed before. "Frank... Oh, Frank..." She got down onto her knees and held him tight. "I'm okay," she crooned to him. "I'm okay, and nothing like this will happen again, I promise. I'll stay with you. Every second, I won't leave your side." She stroked his hair.

Frank's tears were soaking Magenta's clothes. "M-Magenta... You mean so much to me after last night, after this... I can't lose you, too."

"Hey. Hey, now. Who said anything about losing me, hm?" Magenta rubbed his back gently. "That's not going to happen... Ssh, ssh..."

Magenta had stayed there with Frank a long while, soothing him. He had been so scared for her, and it was now evident all over her shirt. Eventually, though, Frank had calmed. When he had, they left the bathroom. Together, they had cleaned up the giant mess Magenta had earlier created. The whole time, Magenta could still barely believe it had been her doing. She understood why he had been so scared.

Now, two days after Magenta's first PTSD attack, Frank worried that another one would come on when they had to move the bodies. He almost wanted to just do it by himself, but he definitely didn't want to leave her alone, not for a second. For the past two days, they had been practically glued together. He wasn't going to change that. He held her close.

"Well, they aren't...they aren't going to move themselves," Magenta squeaked.

Frank rubbed her back. "Which one would be the least painful for you to move?"

"Riff Raff," she growled his name when she answered.

"Okay, here's what we'll do," Frank murmured. "We'll get some large garbage bags and cover them so we don't have to look at them. Then we'll stuff them into different garbage bags. You'll get Riff Raff, I'll get Columbia. We'll drag them out into the forest and leave them there."

Magenta nodded against his chest. "Sounds good."

"If, at any point, it becomes too much for you, let me know. We can stop, put it off 'til tomorrow. What's one more day?"

Magenta nodded again. "Okay, I'll tell you."

Frank kissed her gently. Magenta savored the moment, knowing it wouldn't last long. They had work to do.

After Frank broke the kiss, he found some extra large garbage bags. He grabbed them and led Magenta to the theatre room where the floorshow was held, holding her hand. He paused inside the doorway with her, once the doors were open. He hugged her. "You can do this," he told her reassuringly. "We both can."

They each took their own share of garbage bags, and laid them out over the bodies, covering them head to toe.

"UGH!" Magenta grunted, trying to lift Riff Raff's body into a trash bag. She panted. "Too heavy!" That deadweight thing really added to the weight.

Frank went to her aid. Together they successfully tranferred the body into the bag. He then returned to Columbia, who was simple enough to get into the bag on his own. He kept an eye on Magenta all the while, watching for signs of snapping. Thankfully, he didn't see any. "Okay, let's get outside." He lifted his garbage bag and headed for the outside door. Poor Magenta could only drag hers. Frank slowed so she could catch up with him, and stayed at her pace.

It was slow going, but they'd eventually dumped the bodies a good twenty miles deep into the forest, away from the castle. It had been a long walk, especially for Magenta. On their way back, Magenta began to feel woozy. "F-Frank?" was all she managed before she passed out.

Frank instinctively caught her before she could hit the ground. "Oh, Magenta," he murmured. When had she eaten last? When had _he _eaten last. He couldn't remember. But it was going to be a long walk back. He couldn't wait that long. He only walked as far as a blackberry patch before stopping, gently lowering Magenta to lay on the forest's floor.

He knelt beside her, caressing her cheek. "Magenta, please wake up..." He removed his hand and began fanning her the best he could. "Magenta..." He lightly slapped her cheeks, trying to get a response out of her. If he had a glass of cold water, he would have poured it on her. But, he didn't, and since they were in the middle of the forest, he couldn't get one. He gently shook her, and when he didn't get a response, he shook her more frantically.

She woke up at that. "Oh no," she groaned. "Did I do something stupid again?"

Frank let out a sigh of relief. "No, not as bad as the other day." He helped her sit up. "You just fainted. Do you remember the last time you've eaten?"

Magenta slowly shook her head.

"That's okay, I can't remember when I have, either. But we're near a patch of blackberries. We can fill up on those for our walk back to the castle, until we can eat something more filling."

"Okay." Magenta smiled. "I love blackberries." She rose to her feet. "I'm sorry I scared you again," she murmured.

"It wasn't as bad. I look at it as a good thing." Frank led her to the blackberry bush.

The two ate their heart's content, and then some, just to be sure they'd have the energy. "Okay." Frank took her hand. It was getting really dark. "Let's head back."

Magenta nodded and clung to him fearfully. It was true that Transsexual was always dark, but it was never this dark. The moon was always out, and it was always bright. It was brighter than Earth's moon, anyway, which wasn't even filtering through the trees now. She couldn't see any stars.

Frank walked Magenta quickly back home, but even quickly, it still took long enough for them to be frightened at every small trip, every bump into a branch or bush, afraid that some animal would make them its dinner. Magenta's face was actually slick with tears when they made it home, even though she'd been silent the walk back.

"We're okay," Frank soothed, locking the door behind them. He cupped her cheeks, wiping her tears gently away with the pads of his thumbs. "We were scared, but we made it through. We made it through it all, Magenta."

Magenta wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Can you make something tonight? I'm not up for cooking anything right now."

"Of course." He kissed the top of her head lovingly. "Of course."


	3. Chapter 3

Magenta jolted awake into a sitting position in the middle of the night, her chest aching. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she wailed, waking Frank. He sat up, clicking on the light that perched on the bedside table. "Magenta..." He gently touched her arm. Her head swung in his direction and she launched herself at him, hugging him tightly.

"You're okay," came her muffled voice from his shoulder.

"Yes," Frank confirmed, quite confused. He rubbed her back gently. "I am okay."

When Magenta looked up at him, the urgency he saw in her eyes startled him. "Don't go near the pool."

"What?" It was such an odd statement, absurd at this hour of the night. "I wasn't planning to."

"I mean ever. Don't ever go near the pool."

"What? Why?" Aside from it being in the same room as the _incident_, he couldn't see why he shouldn't be near it. He knew they would get over what happened eventually.

"I-I dreamed..."

Frank could feel as his body relaxed. He gently cupped Magenta's cheek, wiping the tears away. "Honey, it was just a nightma -"

"You don't understand!" Magenta cut him off. "It felt real! It felt so real! You - You were swimming in the pool, a-a-and...a-and then..." She burst into tears again, shrinking back.

Frank gently tilted her chin up so she would look at him. "'And then' what, sweetheart?" he asked softly.

"You drowned! Just like that, you drowned! And you were dead..." A brief pause. "You were DEAD!" she screamed.

"Hush, hush now," he crooned gently, cradling her in his arms. "It was only a dream, babydoll, only a dream."

"But - !"

"I won't go near the pool, if it will make you feel any better, I promise. I'll stay away as long as you want."

"R-Really?"

"Really."

Magenta cuddled into him, her tears slowing then stopping altogether. "Thank you."

"Feel any better now?" Frank asked, stroking her hair.

She nodded. "Yes." She kissed him. "Frank, I love you."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"I love you. You've been so good to me these past few days, and I know you care for me. You hold me when I'm upset or scared, get me to eat when I refuse to, and your kisses, they're genuine, I can feel the honesty behind them. Please don't tell me I'm just being hormonal, that my emotions are going crazy ever since...what happened. Don't tell me that these feelings aren't real, because they are. I woke up with my chest literally aching at the thought of you dead. You saw how hard I was crying. Don't tell me it's too soon for me to feel these things, because when a woman knows she's in love, she knows. I know. I've seen the very worst of you, and I've seen the very best. I've seen all the things in between. And I love you. I love you."

With each word Magenta spoke, Frank melted. Her words gave him butterflies and goosebumps. He was touched in a place so deep, he didn't know it was possible to be touched there. All he could do was smile. He didn't realize that a lone tear of happiness was trickling down his cheek. Magenta wiped it away, letting her hand linger, caressing his skin. "Magenta," he whispered. That one word held all the meaning in the world.

Magenta kissed him again, and he returned the kiss passionately. Magenta reached across to the lamp and clicked it off, still kissing him. She ran her hands down his chest. "Make love to me," she murmured into the kiss as she straddled him. He laid back on the bed, lifting the material of the nightgown she wore.

In the morning, the two slept curled together. Magenta with her head on Frank's chest, Frank with his arms wrapped protectively around her. Frank was the first to wake. He smiled softly at the memory of the previous night. He gently stroked her hair, recalling how she'd told him she loved him. He hoped that when she woke she wouldn't feel like what followed had been a mistake. He didn't feel that way. If anything, he felt that it solidified what she'd said. Like signing a beautifully sexy contract.

"Morning," Magenta murmured sleepily. Frank hadn't even noticed she woke. She kissed him softly.

"So, you're alright, then?" Frank asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just didn't want you to feel like last night was a mistake."

Magenta looked sharply at him. "Last night was no mistake."

"Good." He stroked her cheek. "Are you hungry at all?"

"No." She was, but she was lazy. "I just want to lay here with you."

"We can do that," he said with a smile.

She rested her head on his chest again. "You're so warm," she murmured. "So comfortable."

"Stay there as long as you like." He traced patterns on her back with his forefinger.

"Do you think," she started. "Not tomorrow or anything, but do you think that someday we could have a family?" She looked up at him.

"Someday, I believe we could," Frank answered.

"And someday we could get married?"

"Someday we could."

"And maybe, like today, you could tell me you love me too?"

"Maybe."

Magenta lightly smacked his shoulder. "That's not the answer I was looking for."

"I know, but I can't just say it when you want me to. That would only ruin it."

"You're never going to have the element of surprise that I had."

"Maybe so, but I can dream."

"Damn it, you're being adorable. I can't stay mad at you when you're being this adorable."

He grinned. "One of my charms."

She rolled her eyes and cuddled up to him again.

"You know what?" Frank murmured. "You're happy. For the first time in the past few days, you're actually happy. You're being playful and sarcastic and hopeful. I like it this way."

Magenta smiled. "You're right." She kissed his chest. "You're absolutely right."

He kissed the top of her head, holding her close. After a few long, silent moments passed, he softly spoke, "I love you, too."


	4. Chapter 4

Exactly a week had passed since the deaths of Columbia and Riff Raff. It was enough time that their wounds had partially healed, not as fresh as they had been. One might think that because of this the passion between Magenta and Frank died down, adrenaline from the recent events leaving them, but that was not the case. It was stronger.

It was well after lunch time, and the two simply didn't care. Once more, time meant less and less to them, closer to the way things were. After they had eaten, they lazily collapsed together onto a small couch in one of the castle's many rooms, curled up together. They were happy.

Magenta squirmed into a comfortable position in Frank's arms. She giggled when he kissed the tip of her nose.

"Aw." He smiled. She was simply too endearing.

She lightly whacked his shoulder. "Don't you 'aw' me, I'm not that cute."

Frank chuckled. "Oh, on the contrary, you are! You're also beautiful, strong, intelligent, amaz -"

Magenta cut off the stream of compliments with a kiss. It was just too much to be true, though she knew he meant it.

"Mm." The kiss was a pleasant surprise. He was content with it. "Mm!" He wasn't expecting the...shall we say, excitement...that Magenta was putting into the kiss. He welcomed it just the same. "Careful," he murmured.

Magenta frowned. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, you're turning me on."

Her face visibly brightened and she grinned the traditional Chesire Cat grin that Frank had trademarked. "That's not a bad thing," she purred.

Frank ran his hands down her sides, stopping at her hips. He kissed her again.

As Magenta returned the kiss, she ground against him, causing him to moan into the kiss. She ran a hand through his hair. "Go ahead, Frankie. It's okay."

He kissed her neck softly. "You sure?"

Tingles of pleasure danced down her spine. "Don't make me tie you to a chair..."

He laughed. That was some great pillow talk right there. He didn't doubt she actually would do that, though, so he thought it best to just continue on.

That was exactly what he did, too. It had felt just as wonderful as the first time, two nights ago. This time it wasn't in the middle of the night, and there had been no tears before hand, so it was more clear this time that it was exactly what Magenta had wanted. In the past week, Frank had been very good about keeping his darker personality away. Not once had he rose his voice or made a threat.

Magenta smiled, still lightly panting. "That was even better than last time, I think."

"Maybe," Frank agreed. "There weren't as many confusing emotions this time."

"Just happiness."

"Exactly." He nuzzled his nose gently against her neck.

She smiled. "You act like a cat, sometimes."

"Pfft. I _am _a cat. Mew."

Magenta cackled with laughter. "Oh, you." She stroked his hair. "Should I scratch you behind the ears, then?" she teased. "_If_ I can find them behind this massive hair of yours..."

Frank poked her belly button for revenge, chuckling as she made a noise a few octaves above her natural voice.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." She smirked. "Kitty."

He shrugged. "All is well, Kitty loves you." He kissed her sweetly.

Magenta smiled into the kiss. Who knew Frank having the likeness of a cat would be so much fun? "I love you, too." She smiled. "Aww, your makeup's all smeared."

"'Twas worth it, m'lady."

"Stop. Stop doing that to your voice. It's too sexy. I don't think I can even stand yet, and I don't need to get all horny again."

Frank simply smirked and waggled his eyebrows at her.

She lightly smacked his shoulder again.

He pouted. "You know, if you keep hitting me, I'm going to get a bruise."

"Oh, poor baby." She kissed his shoulder gently. "There, all better."

He grinned. "Yay!"

Magenta laughed again. "Where's the off button to your adorableness?"

"Hm, I don't know, where's yours?"

"Touche."

Frank smiled, glad they were having a good time. He didn't have those often. More importantly, it was good to see Magenta was able to have such a good time. He'd worried about that, at times. Now, he was confident they would have more times like these in the future. More playful, silly, priceless times.

Magenta smiled back. She was happy to see him so lightened up and carefree. She knew he worried about her a lot of the time, she could see it right on his face. But right in that moment, she couldn't see a single cloud of worry cross Frank's lovely features. It was good that he was able to have fun again. She had no fear that he would revert to his old self, for the past week had proven that he wouldn't. "I love you," she murmured. "Lots."

He kissed her forehead and caressed her cheeks. "I love you, too." He held her close, letting his cheek rest gently atop her head.

She wrapped her arms around him, feeling comfortably cocooned against his warm body. She closed her eyes. "You're a beautiful person, you know that?"

"Each day spent with you is what makes it so."

"Great, you just turned me into a puddle."

He chuckled softly. "Should I apologize?"

"No. I like being a puddle sometimes."

"Okay." He kissed the top of her head softly.

Magenta smiled. "I'm a comfortable puddle. I might fall asleep right here."

"You can do that, I'll stay right here." He squeezed her gently.

"Mm." She felt so safe in his arms. "Thank you." Her words were already sluggish, sleep had almost completely claimed her.

He continued holding her silently, letting his own eyes close.


	5. Chapter 5

An uncommon pain flip-flopping in his stomach gave Frank a rude awakening. He clumsily stumbled from the bed into the nearest bathroom, where everything he had eaten the previous day, perhaps even the past two days, transferred from his stomach to the toilet. He squeezed his eyes shut. He hated puking with a passion. He envied those that could hold it in and make it pass. He took a deep breath just before another painful wave tore more of his stomach contents through his throat. Hot tears streaked down his cheeks. He felt as if his throat were burning. It sucked. He took a few more breaths, but didn't move, not trusting that his stomach wouldn't betray him again. Sure enough, shortly after the burning in his throat began to subside, he retched again.

Magenta woke to an empty bed. That wasn't entirely odd, sometimes Frank would try to surprise her by having breakfast ready for her when she woke up, and his timing was always off. Sometimes she would be awake for a good fifteen minutes before he would enter with a tray of food and a faltering smile.

"Damn," he would say. "You're already awake."

She found it sweet that he kept trying, even though breakfast in bed was enough of a treat all on its own. One day she might just pretend to keep sleeping when she notices he's out of bed, but not today. Today something felt off. She got up from the bed and tried to think of where he might be. She didn't have to think too long, for the sounds of a flushing toilet entered the room. She relaxed but it was quickly replaced with concern when Frank returned to the room. He looked pale as a ghost. "Frank?"

Before he could make any sort of reply, he collapsed onto the floor.

Magenta's eyes widened. "Frank?" She rushed to his side and knelt beside him. She cradled his head in her lap. She brushed his hair back and felt that his forehead was burning up. "Oh, Frankie," she murmured. "You'll be okay." She managed to lift him up long enough to get him onto the bed. She went to the bathroom to get a washcloth. It smelled horrid in there, and not the usual bad bathroom smells either. She realized that he must have been sick. She got the washcloth and soaked it with cold water, then returned to Frank on the bed. She gently held the cold washcloth to his face and his neck. The sudden cold jolted him into consciousness.

"Magenta, what - ?"

"Ssh, you're going to be alright."

He sighed. The wet cloth felt good against his skin. "I just fainted, didn't I?"

Magenta nodded.

He looked into her eyes with such urgency that she was startled and dropped the washcloth. "You're not sick, are you?"

She slowly shook her head.

"Good, I don't want you sick, too."

She picked the washcloth up again, continuing to cool his skin. "I don't understand. We've both been eating the same foods. How are you sick and I'm not?"

"Maybe I'm pregnant," Frank joked.

"Frank, I'm serious." Her eyes pierced his.

"I don't know." He frowned. "I don't know, okay?"

"How long has it been?"

"It just started this morning. I woke up with the need to vomit. When I was finally done and decided to come back out, I guess I passed out. That's it."

"You didn't feel sick at all, before?"

"No, I felt fine!"

Magenta frowned.

"What?"

"I don't know." Her mind was going crazy, trying to match his symptoms with any Earthen or Transylvanian illnesses in existence, worrying that it would be one of the worst ones.

"Don't do that. The more you worry, the more I'll freak out, and that can't be good for my stomach."

"I can't help it. I worry when I don't know what's wrong with someone I love."

"Magenta, I'll be fine. We'll figure out what it is."

She felt his forehead again. "I don't like this. You're burning up."

"Surely this isn't the first time you've seen someone sick."

"Of course not."

"Then stop fawning over me so much and think about things you normally do to help sick people."

Magenta paused. "I'll be right back. Don't move, I don't want you fainting again." She dashed out of the room. Soup. Unsalted soup seemed to work wonders with sick people. Lightly toasted bread also seemed to help with an upset stomach. That's what she needed to do. She kept busy in the kitchen, trying not to think of the fact that it was Frank who was sick, trying not to think that the sickness was anything more than a small bug.

After fifteen minutes or so she returned with the soup and toast. "Sit up." She told Frank gently. He did so. "Now, just sit there. Don't touch anything. You should rest. The only thing you should be moving is your mouth."

Frank opened his mouth to speak and Magenta thrust a spoonful of soup into it.

"And not to speak," she added.

Frank pouted briefly, but let her feed him. He'd told her to stop worrying, and she'd traded that for taking care of him, essentially what he had told her to do. He couldn't complain.

Magenta was surprised he wasn't defying her very much. It made sense, she supposed, he hated being sick and she knew that. Maybe he knew if he didn't fight her, he'd get better faster. Or maybe he simply wasn't fighting her because he knew she was already scared and stressed, and didn't want to add anything to it.

One can only lie still for so long before the boredom makes them tired. Once Frank had finished what Magenta made him, he stayed put, hoping his stomach would settle and the food would stay down. Somewhere in his waiting, he fell asleep. Magenta kept a watchful eye on him, ready to assist if and when he needed anything more. She sat beside him on the bed, picking up the abandoned washcloth, holding it to his skin once more. It wasn't cool enough that it would wake him this time. She hoped it was enough to help keep his temperature at bay, though.

Frank's dreams consisted of fish. Lots and lots of fish. He couldn't understand why. But when he woke up, he remembered something, and his dreams made sense. "Magenta," he murmured.

Magenta looked over at him. He was so quiet, she barely heard him speak.

"I think I know what it is."

"You do?" She got closer so she could hear him better.

"Remember when we had pizza the other day?"

She nodded. "Yes, but I don't see wha -" Then she caught on. "We got different toppings." They couldn't agree on a topping so they'd ordered the pizza with two toppings, one half was the one Frank chose, and the other half was the one Magenta chose.

"My half had anchovies. It's anchovy poisoning. That's why you're not sick, too, you didn't have any."

It made perfect sense. "I told you we should have gone with the cheese. That can kill you."

"Only when it's not caught. If an Earthling had it, it would've only taken fifteen minutes to kill them. But Transylvanians' immune systems are more advanced, so that's why I didn't feel anything until today."

"Your voice sounds really scratchy. I'm going to go get you some water." Magenta got up from the bed and did exactly as she said she would. She returned with a glass of water and made him drink. "I know you have a book of diseases somewhere because you didn't want Rocky to have any when he was made. Where's it at?"

"It's in the supply closet in the lab," Frank answered.

"I'm going to go get it. I want to know how to treat this." She left again, and returned with the five pound book. She flipped it open, grateful it was alphabetized. She found what she was looking for and looked at him sheepishly.

"What?"

"Well...the only way to get rid of it is to induce vomiting and stay hydrated."

Frank's lips twisted into a grimace. "So one of its symptoms is its treatment?"

"Apparently."

He sighed. "Let's get this over with." He started to get up from the bed and Magenta caught his arm.

"Careful, careful. We don't need you falling and hurting yourself." She helped him to the bathroom.

"How am I supposed to force myself to throw up?"

"Maybe by putting something gross in your mouth. Like a wet cotton ball."

He gagged at the thought of it.

"Well, looks like we have a plan." She grabbed a couple cotton balls and made them wet. She made one wet with cold water, and the other with hot water. She caught him mid-yawn and popped them into his mouth. She didn't think it would work too well if he were prepared for it, and it was all for his health, anyway.

He gagged and threw up into the toilet. Magenta rubbed his back in small circles, hating the fact that he had to suffer more before he got better. When he complained of his throat burning, she got him water again. She repeated the process with the cotton balls until nothing was coming up but bile. Then she made him keep drinking water until he had to pee. She left the room for that.

"I _hate_ anchovies!" he growled from behind the door.

Magenta had to laugh. "Looks like we're getting cheese pizza next time, then?"

"Next cheese pizza I see I might just marry," he replied. The sounds of toilet flushing and the sink running came before he opened the door.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Like I need a nap."

"So, you don't feel sick anymore?"

He shook his head. "Just exhausted."

"Can't blame you, that was hell. Go take your nap. Then take a shower, you smell like vomit."

"Gee, wonder why," he retorted sarcastically as he made his way to the bed.


	6. Chapter 6

The room was dark. It frightened the adorable ball of fluff that was to be Magenta's present to help her feel better. He comforted it before it would make a noise and ruin the surprise.

Magenta had been in a bit of a slump, lately. She'd decided it was time to clean out the room she once shared with Columbia. She had neglected it since Columbia's death. It was one of the few rooms she hadn't let herself go near. It was time to face her demons, though, and she could handle it. Or so she thought. As soon as she set foot in the room still adorned with Columbia's various knick-knacks and decorations, she felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. She wasn't ready. She sank onto the settee that they sometimes slept on, both literally and sexually, taking in her surroundings. The red nail polish still sat on the coffee table in front of the settee, left out from when Columbia had been giving Magenta a pedicure. Columbia's old teddy bear sat beside Magenta on the settee from when Columbia was mourning the loss of her beloved Eddie. Little had she known that in mere hours she would be joining him. Magenta dared not touch anything. She folded her hands tightly in her lap, finding herself unable to leave as a sob tore through her throat. She dissolved into uncontrollable tears, and it wasn't long before a recently recovered Frank found her. He'd consoled her and she soon returned to normal. At least, he'd thought she had.

Walking further into the dark room, Frank noticed an angle of moonlight cutting through the darkness, lighting a small piece of the carpeted floor. His eyes followed the light to their source and he gasped in horror at what he saw. The window was wide open, which was letting the moonlight shine through. On the edge of the window sill sat a very shaky Magenta, about to push off. The room was two stories above the ground. In his shock, he accidentally dropped the small pup that he held. He quickly looked down at it, hoping he hadn't injured it. He quickly looked back up at Magenta. "Magenta - what the hell are you doing?" He dashed over to the window where she was perched unsteadily. He noticed she had blood on her arms and legs, and a small shard of glass was digging into her thigh. She'd cut herself. "Magenta," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her small frame. She startled, causing her hands to slip from the sill. "Love, what are you doing?" he asked in a pained whisper. He hadn't realized that her hands had slipped, making his arms around her waist the only thing that kept her above the ground. "You can't do this. I know you're hurting, but I am, too. Magenta, please...if I can't help you, we'll find someone who can." He felt a lump in his throat and it was hard to speak. Tears cut through the makeup on his face. The woman he loved was trying to commit suicide. "Please, baby," he begged. "I can't lose you, too. I don't want to be alone. I love you so much. Words can't even describe how much you mean to me." After a moment, he noticed she was trembling against him. She was crying, too.

"I'm sorry, Frankie. I'm so, so sorry."

"Ssh, shh." He kissed the top of her head, tears still rolling down his cheeks. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."

She nodded. "Frankie, I love you. I'm so sorry. I'll come back in. Just let me go." She knew as soon as he let go she would be plummeting toward the ground to meet death. She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him one last time. She kissed him lovingly, giving him the best kiss he'd ever receive. She saw the uncertainty in his eyes when the kiss broke. She put on her brightest smile, giving the illusion that she was alright. "It's alright. Everything will be okay," she promised. Let go," she gently prompted.

Frank let go. He watched in horror as she slipped right through his arms. He reached out the window, almost falling himself, trying to grab her hand. It was no use, she was falling far too fast. He heard her hit the ground before his eyes registered her brutal landing. Even two stories above, he could see the blood. He shrank back from the window.

He sank to the ground, howling in agony. He should have scooped her into his arms and dragged her back inside while he still had the chance. He should have never left her alone while he went out and got that stupid puppy. He shouldn't have let her ever leave his sight. His heart shattered as he screamed her name in pain and longing. Now he was alone, all alone...

"MAGENTA!" Tears streamed down his cheeks, dripping off of his chin. He felt strong, feminine arms wrap around him, and felt himself being pulled close to a soft body. He heard soft, sweet murmurings. He forced his eyes open. She was alive. His precious Magenta was alive. "Oh God, Magenta!" he sobbed, throwing his arms around her. He realized it had all just been a nightmare. Still, it shook him to the core.

Magenta rubbed his back soothingly. "Frankie, Frankie..." she murmured. "Just let it all out, sweetie. Let it out," she encouraged.

He looked at her through tearful eyes. "Don't you _ever_ commit suicide on me!" he demanded, his voice thick with emotion.

Magenta's heart rose to her throat. "What?" she asked, blinking back tears. "Frank, I would ne -"

"Please don't leave me! I love you too much! Please, please..."

"Oh, honey..." She rubbed his back some more. "Hush...Hush, now."

Frank's hysteria subsided, but the tears and shaking hadn't left him alone. He buried his face in Magenta's shoulder, clinging tightly to her.

Magenta stroked his hair lovingly, with tears now running freely down her face. He must have had one hell of a dream. One that involved her commiting suicide. Him hurting so much over it made her hurt. "I'll never leave you," she crooned gently. "In any way, shape or form. I could never hurt you so much. I love you more than anything that's hurt me. No desire to end pain could be so strong enough that I'd act on it and leave you alone. I promise." She lifted his head gently off of her shoulder. "I'll prove it to you any way I can." She wiped away his tears and kissed him. The tenderness with which he responded absolutely broke her heart. He was truly frightened. She stroked his side soothingly, letting the kiss stay tender.

He brushed her tears away. "I didn't mean to hurt you," he spoke brokenly.

"You haven't," she insisted. "Your love for me is just so deep and touching." She meant it.

The word 'deep' struck a chord within Frank's memory. "Do you cut yourself?"

The question startled her. "No, Frank. I never have."

"Don't start."

"I won't."

"Promise me?"

"I promise I will never harm myself in any way."

He held her tight. Magenta got the feeling it was going to be a very long night. She tried to shoot for news that might bring happiness. "I mean, how could I?" she murmured. "I could very well be pregnant with your child." He held her closer, but loosened his grip. "I would never hurt myself knowing a baby could be on the way, or after the baby is born, I know what it's like not to know your mother and that just wouldn't be fair for a child." She rambled on, hoping to calm him. "It's not definite, of course, we've only had sex twice, but it could happen. Even if it doesn't, I can't hurt myself because it would hurt you, and you've lost enough people just like I have. We're going to get married someday, I know it. I'm going to be so good to you that you'll be looking for flaws, but you won't be able to find any. I'll be your first and only wife, and you'll be my first and only husband. We could even go back to Transylvania one day, maybe get married again there -"

Frank kissed her lovingly. "Thank you," he murmured when the kiss broke.

She knew he was okay, now. Every sense she possessed told her so. She got comfortable in his arms, once more.

"I don't want to go back to sleep," he told her.

"You don't have to, baby," Magenta told him sincerely. "I'll stay up with you, if you want."

"You really think you might be pregnant?" Frank asked.

"I believe that there is a chance, yes."

"I didn't think I'd be saying this so soon, but I'll be happy if you are."

Magenta smiled. "I love you and I'll gladly carry what children you should give me."

He kissed her gently. She would make an excellent mother to his children.


	7. Chapter 7

"Why?"

"Since we're gonna be here a while, it's about time one of us gets a job."

"I understand that, Magenta, but...a news anchor? You want to be a news anchor?"

"Good pay, and it will keep us informed on if any Dr. Scott-esque personas that are better equipped will plan to pay us a visit. He couldn't have been the only believer."

"Hmm..." He frowned in thought. He had to admit she had a point, but he still thought it was too dangerous. "The paparazzi here are just as bad as the ones at home, if not worse. They can only be eluded for so long."

Magenta sighed. It was a good point. "Yeah, there is that. What other jobs could keep us informed without risk, though? There's going to be risk everywhere."

"Journalist, perhaps?" He knew that especially with the possibility of a child, they were going to need more money than they ever had before while staying here.

"Avoid the paparazzi by being the paparazzi? I'm shocked that you would even suggest that."

"Well, most high-paying jobs are either time consuming or dangerous, usually both, which is a bad combination if we're going to have a family."

Magenta snickered at an idea. "Well, we could always become astronauts."

"With all their slow equipment? That's quite ridiculous."

"It is feasible, though, is it not? Yes, it would be time consuming, but we could make sure our galaxy isn't stumbled upon that way, and there would be great money involved."

"Again, the technology isn't up to par with ours. How many Transylvanian aircrafts have burst in space?"

"..."

"None. And how many Earth aircrafts have burst in space?"

"..."

"Exactly."

"With great money comes fame, with fame comes exposure. So, really, it doesn't matter what planet we're on, we're screwed either way. Either we'll be discovered here eventually, or we return home and your mother won't approve of us and you'll be thrust back into the limelight." Magenta leaned her back against the wall and let herself slide down to a sitting position on the floor.

"How could she not approve? You protected me."

"Yes, but I'm of servant blood. You know as well as I do that servant blood and royal blood are not supposed to mix."

"Yet, I can't bring myself to care." He sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her. "I doubt we're the first to have broken this rule, and I doubt we'll be the last."

"So, what do we do? Stay here, get mediocre jobs, struggle to make sure our possible child has a good life, and risk our own? Or go back home and risk being separated?"

"Or we could go with the everything's going to be fine option and stop worrying so much about it." He kissed her cheek. "I just thought of something that pays well that doesn't come with paparazzi stalkers, anyway."

"What's that?" She looked at him curiously.

"Modeling. Getting pictures taken of them is their job, so no one wants pictures of them outside of their job. They don't want to know every detail of their lives like they do with actors, all they care about is that they're attractive enough for magazines and can strut their stuff."

Magenta had to laugh. "That's more your area than mine."

"You're gorgeous."

Magenta smiled. "I also might turn into a blimp in a few months, and no one wants to see that on a catwalk." She kissed him.

He drew her close, pulling her into his lap as he returned the kiss. "You want to make sure of that?" he murmured.

"Third time's the charm?"

"Third time's the charm."

An hour or so later they lay tangled in their spot on the floor, out of breath.

"Are you sure we did it that time?" Magenta asked.

"I'm pretty confident that we did; I didn't pull out."

"I noticed that." She kissed his chest softly.

He stroked her hair. "So, you think I should be a model?"

She giggled. "You already act like one."

"That'll mean less time with you," he pointed out.

"I can be your groupie. Keep an eye on all the women that will surely want you."

He laughed.

She smiled. "At least, until the baby comes."

"So, you think we did it?"

"I'm already late a day. So if I wasn't already, I think I am now."

He chuckled. "Smart woman."

She nuzzled her head against his chest. "I love you. No matter what challenges we may face in the future, no matter what planet we're on."

He smiled. He knew she'd come to her senses eventually. "I love you, too. Even if you are difficult sometimes and will definitely become more difficult as hormones control you."

Magenta laughed. "I should resent that, but I don't." She stroked his cheek, looking up into his eyes. "You think we could name it after Columbia? Even if it's just a middle name?"

"I think that would be the perfect thing to do. But what if it's a boy?"

"Columbia is simply the feminine form of Columbus."

Frank nodded. "That would work." He kissed her forehead lovingly.

"That way, though she may be gone, she'll never be forgotten." Her voice was tighter.

He hugged her close. "It's okay, Magenta. I miss her, too." He kissed the top of her head.

"I still can't understand why he did it," she whispered.

"Neither of us ever will." He rubbed her back comfortingly and kissed her.

In his arms, everything wrong was made right again, and his kisses were as healing as an angel's touch. It was impossible to not radiate love as she returned the kiss. "Thank you. You always know what to do."

He smiled. "I do my best."


End file.
